Carton



March 8, 1966 c. F. scHlLLlNG ETAL 3,239,129

CARTON 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 16, 1964 2 2 6 vo. l2 z M l: 4 il? 1Twe. s Il I L. 2 l/ w lo 2 Z a m l March 8, 1966 c. F. scHlLLlNG ETALCARTON 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 16, 1964 March 8, 1966 c. F.scHlLLlNG ETAL 3,239,129

CARTON Filed OC. 16, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent O3,239,129 CARTON Casper F. Schilling, Wausau, and Joseph H. Hantz, Jr.,Schoield, Wis., assignors t American Can Company, New York, N.Y., acorporation of New Jersey lFiled Oct. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 404,223 Claims.(Cl. 229-51) This invention relates to carton construction and moreparticularly to means for facilitating the closing of car- `tons havingan inner and outer panel fixed together in overlapping juxtaposition sothat the end edges of the panels are adjacent one another and havingoverlapping inner and outer ilaps which are fixed together in a limitedarea of their overlap and which are hingedly connected to the adjacentends of the inner and outer panels, respectively, and which are adaptedto be folded perpendicularly to the inner and outer panels.

The improvement provides means which cannot be detected from the outwardappearance of the carton for reducing the resistance of the flaps tofolding.

The improvement is particularly well suited for use in conjunction withcartons of the above description which have a tear strip in the outerflap. In such known carton constructions, one of which is illustrated inFIGURE 9, there is a buckling or puckering of the tear strip along itsbottom edge due to the -fact that that portion of the outer ap above theline of weakness dening the bottom edge of the'tear strip shiftsrelative to that portion of the outer ap below that line of weakness asthe aps are folded about their hinge connection. This puckering of thetear strip is not only unsightly but it also interferes with the closingand sealing of the carton on high-speed packaging machinery.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved cartonconstruction having means which do not detract from the outwardappearance of the carton which substantially reduce the resistance ofthe aps to being folded.

Another object of this invention is to provide `a new and improvedcarton construction which obviates the puckering of the tear strip whicharises during the closing of known carton constructions.

To facilitate the description of the present invention there is shown inthe drawings a carton of the type having a receptacle portion and acover portion adapted to telescope over the receptacle portion andhaving a multisided, tear-strip opening feature.

Certain details and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe following description made in connection made in connection with theaccompanying drawings in"which: l

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a paperboard blank embodying the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view of the reverse side of the blank ofFIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a plan View of a collapsed carton shell formed from theblank of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a squared carton shell formed from theblank of FIGURE 1,

FIGURES is a perspective view of a partially closed. carton formed fromthe blank of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a fully closed and sealed cartonformed from the blank of FIGURE 1,

Patented Mar. 8, 1966 ICC FIGURE 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional viewtaken along line 7-7 of FIGURE 6,

FIGURE 8 is a perspective View of a carton in opened condition formedfrom the blank of FIGURE 1 with the tear strip removed, and

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of a known cartonconstruction having puckering along the bottom edge of its tear strip.

Referring to FIGURE l, the carton may be made from a single blank A offoldable material such as paperboard. The blank A is'divided by scoreline 10 vand cut lines 11 into a receptacle portion and a cover portion.

The receptacle portion is divided by `score lines 12-16 and cut linesy17 and 18 into hingedly connected panels and flaps including receptaclefront, bottom and rear panels 19, V20 and 21, respectively, and front,bottom and rear end aps 22, 23 and 24, respectively.

Score line 10 defines the upper edge of receptacle rear panel 21 andscore lines 16 define the end edges of receptacle front panel 19.

The cover portion is divided by score lines 25-27 and cut lines 2S intohingedly connected panels and flaps including top panel 29, openingpanel 30, opening flaps 31 and 32 and top flaps 33. y

Score line 25 denes the front edge of top panel 29 and score lines 26define its opposed end edges. Score lines 27 dene 4the opposed end edgesof opening panel 30. The openings flaps have upper and lower edges 34and 35, respectively. A

Lines of weakness in the form of herring bonetype, perforated scorelines 36 and, 37 in opening panel 30 and opening liaps 31 and 32 dene atear strip comprising portions 38, 39 and 40. Tear strip portion 38separates first opening ap 31 into upper and lower portions 31a and 31b.Likewise, tear strip portions 39 'and' 40 separate opening panel 30 intoupper and lower portions 30a and 30b and second opening flap into upperand lower portions 32a and 32b,v respectively.

, The front end flaps 22 have lines of weakness therein in the form ofslits 41, the function of which will be more fully describedhereinafter.

`In the preferred form. preapplied heat activatable adhesive is appliedin patterns 42 and 43 on the opening flaps and top aps, respectively.Preapplied adhesive is adhesive which is applied by the paper converterat the timeof manufacture of'the blank and is adapted to be activated byheat at v the time of erection and closing of the carton. I

Blank YA is formed into a 4collapsed carton shell, as shown .in FIGURE3, by the paper converter. This is done by rst running the blank asshown in FIGURE 1 over a conventional straight line gluer to applyadhesive strip 44 shown on the reverse side of the blank in FIG- URE 2.Receptacle front panel 19 is then folded 180 about score line 13 to liesuperposed on bottom panel 20 and so that its adhesive bearing surfaceis facing upwardly. Panels 29 and 30 together with their associatedflaps are then folded about score line 10 so ,that the lower portions30h, 31h and 32b of panel 30 and flaps 31 and 32 are brought in contactwith and adhered to receptacle front panel 19 and flaps 22,respectively, by adhesive strip 44; The blank is then in the collapsedshell form shown in FIGURE 3. In this form, the carton may beeconomically shipped to the product packager for setting up, iilling andsealing.

To set up the carton, the` collapsed carton shell is first squared sothat panels 19, 20, 21 and 29 are positioned consecutively at rightangles to each other as seen in FIGURE 4. Usually, one end of the cartonis rst closed and sealed and the carton is then lfilled and the otherend is closed and sealed. Since the closing and sealing steps for eachend of the carton are the same, reference is had to closing just one endof the carton.

To close one end of the carton, bottom end flap 23 is folded upwardlyabout score -line to a position perpendicular to bottom panel 20. Asseen in FIGURE 5, rear end ap 24 is folded inwardly about score line 14to overlie the bottom end flap. Front end flap 22 and opening flap 31which are adhered together below the tear strip portion 38 are foldedinwardly andthat part of opening ap portion 31b which extends beyondfrontend ap 22 is adhered to rear end flap 24 by adhesive 42.

When opening ap 31 and front end flap 22 are folded rearwardly theportions of these flaps which arev adhered together below the tear striprotate as a unit about a single axis which lies between score lines 16and 27. In contrast, when the portions of these flaps above the tearstrip and which are not adhered together are folded inwardly they rotateabout individual axes, namely score lines 16 and 27.

In the known carton construction when these flaps are folded inwardlythat portion of opening ap above the perforated score line defining thebottom edge of the tear strip tends to move or slide relative to thatportion of the ap which is below this perforated score line, thus,causing puckering along the bottom edge ofthe tear strip as shown inFIGURE 9.

The present invention obviates this vpuckering along the bottom edge ofthe tear strip by providing a line of weakness in the form of slit 41 infront end ap 22. The slit is positioned below perforated score line 37defining the bottom edge of the tear strip'and above thearea of adhesionbetween opening flap portion 31b and the subposed end flap 22. In apreferred embodiment -slit 41 extends substantially across frontend flap22 to provide a line of weakness therein which' is substantially weakerthan the line of weakness 37 defining the bottom edge of the tear strip.This allows the upper portion 31a of opening flap 31 together with tearstrip portion 38 to forcibly slide that portion of front end flap 22above slit 41 relative to the portion below slit 41. As shown in FIGURES5 and '7, this causes a wrinkle in front end flap 22 at the end of slit41 which. cannot be seen when the carton is closed and sealed and whichdoes not interfere with the operation of the closing and sealingmachinery.

Thus, by weakening front end flap 22 by slit 41 to a greater degree thanopening flap 31 is weakened by perforation line 37, p'uckering along thelower edge of the tear strip portion 38 is eliminated.

To fully close the end of the carton, top flap 33 is folded downwardlyabout score line 26 to overlie rear end flap 24 and opening flap portion31a and it is adhered to portion 31a by adhesive 43. The folding andsealing of top flap 33 thus completes the end closure of the carton andfully closed carton as it appears to the consumer is shown in FIGURE 6.

Referring to FIGURE 8, to open the carton, the tear strip is grippedatfthe free end of portion 38 and torn completely from the carton. Theremoval of the tear strip thus severs the lower portions of 30b, 31h andB2b of the cover which are adhered to the receptacle portion from theupper portions of the cover 30a, 31a and 32a, respectively, which arenot so adhered.

While a particular embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawingsand described in detail herein, the invention is suitable of embodimentin various different forms and it is understood that the presentdisclosure is to beconsidered as an exemplification of the principles ofthe invention and is not intended to limit the invention to theparticular form illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointedout in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a carton having an inner panel, an outer panel in overlappingjuxtaposition with and fixed to the inner panel, the outer panel havingan end edge adjacent an end edge of the inner panel, an inner flaphingedly connected to said end edge of the inner panel, and outer flaphingedly connected to said end edge lof the outer panel and overlappingsaid inner flap, the said aps being fixed together in a limited area oftheir overlap and being adapted to be folded perpendicularly to saidpanels, the improvement comprising a cut line in said inner ap extendingfrom adjacent the hinge connection of said inner flap and said innerpanel to adjacent a free edge of said inner flap, the cut line beingadjacent said limited area.

2. In a carton having an inner panel, an outer panel in overlappingjuxtaposition with and xed to the inner panel, the outer panel having anend edge adjacent an end edge of the inner panel, an inner flap hingedlyconnected to said end edge of the inner panel, an outer flap hingedlyconnected to said end edge of the outer panel and overlapping said innerflap, the said flaps being fixed together in a limited area of theiroverlap and being adapted to be folded perpendicularly to said panels,the improvement comprising a cut line in said inner flap extendingapproximately perpendicularly to the hinge connection of said inner flapto said inner panel, the cut line being adjacent said limited area.

3. In a carton having a receptacle portion and a cover portion adaptedto telescope over the receptacle portion; said receptacle portioncomprising hingedly connected receptacle front, bottom and back panelsand end flaps; said cover portion comprising a top panel having a frontedge, an opening panel hingedly connected along the front edge of saidtop panel and having opposed end edges', opening flaps hingedlyconnected along the end edges of said opening panel, said opening panelsand opening flaps being superposed over said receptacle front panel andend flaps, respectively, at least one of said openingflaps adjacent anedge remote from the top panel being adhered to a subposed end flap, anda tear strip portion defined by a pair of vertically` spaced lines ofweakness extending from a free edge of one of said opening aps to itshinge connection, said tear strip being positioned between the plane ofthe top panel and the area of the opening flap which is adhered to saidsubposed end flap; the improvement comprising a line of weakness in saidsubposed end flap positioned below said tear strip and above the area ofthe subposed end flap which is adhered to the opening flap.

4. A tamperproof carton as described in claim 3 wherein the line ofweakness in said subposed end flap comprises a slit extendingapproximately perpendicularly to the hinge connection of said subposedend flap and substantially across said subposed end flap.

5. In a reclosable carton formed from a paperboard blank suitably cutand scored to provide a carton having a receptacle portion and a hingedcover portion adapted to telescope over the receptacle portion; saidreceptacle portion having hingedly connected receptacle front, bottomand back panels and end flaps, said receptacle back panel having anupper edge; said cover portion having a top panel hingedly connected tothe upper edge of said back panel, said top panel having a front edgeand opposed ends, an opening panel hingedly connected along the frontedge of said top panel and having a lower edge and opposed end edges,opening aps hingedly attached along the end edges of said opening paneland having lower and upper edges, said opening panels and opening flapsoverlying and being adhered adjacent their lower edges to saidreceptacle front panel and end flaps, respectively, top flaps hingedlyconnected to the ends of said top panel and adhered to said openingflaps in the area 5 6 0f their upper edge; a tear strip being defined bya pair References Cited bythe Examiner of vertically `spaced lines ofWeakness extending from a UNITED STATES PATENTS free edge of one of saidopening aps throughout the length of said opening panel to a free edgeof the other gimen k. 229 51 opening flap, said tear strip beingpositioned between the 5 3165254 1/1965 Mggons l n 229:51 plane of thetop panel and the area of said opening flaps v which is adhered to saidend flaps; the improvement com- JOSEPH R LECLAIR, Primary Examnehpn'sing a slit in `one of said end flaps positioned below the tear stripand above the area of the end flap which is GEORGE O' RALSTON Exammeradhered to said opening ap. D. T. MOORHEAD, Assistant Examiner.

3. IN A CARTON HAVING A RECEPTACLE PORTION AND A COVER PORTION ADAPTED TO TELESCOPE OVER THE RECEPTACLE PORTION; SAID RECEPTACLE PORTION COMPRISING HINGEDLY CONNECTED RECEPTACLE FRONT, BOTTOM AND BACK PANELS AND END FLAPS; SAID COVER PORTION COMPRISING A TOP PANEL HAVING A FRONT EDGE, AN OPENING PANEL HINGEDLY CONNECTED ALONG THE FRONT EDGE OF SAID TOP PANEL AND HAVING OPPOSED END EDGES, OPENING FLAPS HINGEDLY CONNECTED ALONG THE END EDGES OF SAID OPENING PANEL, SAID OPENING PANELS AND OPENING FLAPS BEING SUPERPOSED OVER SAID RECEPTACLE FRONT PANEL AND END FLAPS, RESPECTIVELY, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID OPENING FLAPS ADJACENT AN EDGE REMOTE FROM THE TOP PANEL BEING ADHERED TO A SUBPOSED END FLAP, AND A TEAR STRIP PORTION DEFINED BY A PAIR OF VERTICALLY SPACED LINES OF WEAKNESS EXTENDING FROM A FREE EDGE OF ONE OF SAID OPENING FLAPS TO ITS HINGE CONNECTION, SAID TEAR STRIP BEING POSITIONED BETWEEN THE PLANE OF THE TOP PANEL AND THE AREA OF THE OPENING FLAP WHICH IS ADHERED TO SAID SUBPOSED END FLAP; THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A LINE OF WEAKNESS IN SAID SUBPOSED END FLAP POSITIONED BELOW SAID TEAR STRIP AND ABOVE THE AREA OF THE SUBPOSED END FLAP WHICH IS ADHERED TO THE OPENING FLAP. 